


What's the difference?

by Weasy



Series: In Parentheses [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Deleted Scenes, Episode: s02e04 The Girl in the Fireplace, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 02:28:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12049422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weasy/pseuds/Weasy
Summary: Mickey and Rose hash out their muddled feelings for each other and other people after The Girl In The Fireplace.





	What's the difference?

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little ficlet inspired by The Federal Empire's You and Drugs. (but not a songfic)

Mickey’s room was plain, little more than an iron bed, a wooden chest of drawers and some shelves, mismatched but decent enough quality. There was no chair so Rose slumped on his bed; kicking off her trainers before she swung her feet up onto the covers, the same way she had for years at his flat on the estate.

Except now he was here, on the TARDIS. 

Mickey was facing the dresser, fiddling with a tiny bottle of WD40 and a stiff drawer that apparently urgently needed sorting. Rose said nothing, thoughts busy with the Doctor and Reinette.

“I wouldn’t read too much into the Doctor, just a weird day.”

The coiled springs of the bed creaked as the mattress dipped beside her and Rose turned to face Mickey, a false smile already tugging at her lips. “Course not.” She agreed.

Mickey’s face was carefully neutral, a study in pretending not to care about his ex’s crush on someone else.

“Sorry.” She sat up, turning away and picking at a loose thread in the knee of her jeans absently. “I don’t want to be that person.”

“It’s alright, Rose. I know I’m stepping on your toes, now some random French lady is too. You can have a moan if you want, just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She laughed, spinning around slowly to meet the familiar smirk of her oldest friend. “I’m glad you were around today.”

“Me too.”

Spreading her arms she flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the high grey ceiling, peppered with black and white shapes that eluded to images she couldn’t quite work out. 

“You can stay here tonight if you want.” His voice trembled slightly, the façade of neutrality crumbling slightly with the words. 

Rose turned to face him, his familiar brown eyes, so torn with uncertainty. It was incredibly tempting to stay, to lose herself in familiar arms. It wasn’t that long ago that she would have said yes.

“Best not, not sure I can give you up again.” She twisted her lips into a playful half smile that didn’t meet her eyes.

Mickey scoffed, propping his head up on one arm as he twisted towards her. “Pretty sure I gave up on you first.”

She chucked a pillow at him. “Hey, when you factor in time travel it was probably simultaneous.”

“Or thousands of years either way…” He mused

Rose pulled a face. “That’s just depressing.”

“My girlfriend went to the future and fell in love with someone else. I get the dibs on depressing.”

“I don’t love the Doctor.” Rose pulled away from him again, the closeness of them on the bed together suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

“Yes you do. And what happened with that other guy - Jack?”

Rose missed Jack. Jack would not have made this a fight. They'd've joked and flirted and forgotten about it.

Maybe that was the perk of interstellar travel with people that you haven't spent most of your life seeing every day.

“That was ages ago," She protested. "I still loved you then... And don't think I've forgotten about Trisha Delaney.” 

Too late, Rose realised how clearly she had just told Mickey that she didn’t love him any more. 

He didn’t seem surprised. Rolling back on the bed to stare at the ceiling even as she drew further away. “I’m just a habit Rose. You couldn’t have him, so you came back to me for a fix.” 

Silence yawned between them. 

“Do you really think that?”

He laughed, a short scornful burst that made her finally scramble completely off the bed and away across the room. “Oh come on, Rose… Rose?”

She let the door swing shut behind her.


End file.
